


Cassandra's Quest

by Commonswift



Category: Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure (Cartoon)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst with a Happy Ending, Bad Parent Gothel (Disney), Cassandra Appreciation Week 2021, Cassandra raised by Gothel, I threw canon out the window, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, King Frederic of Corona Being an Asshole (Disney), RPG Stuff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-15
Updated: 2021-03-21
Packaged: 2021-03-23 18:53:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 10,557
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30059982
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Commonswift/pseuds/Commonswift
Summary: King Frederic launched a search for the legendary Sundrop to save his daughter.He had been warned from the Leader of Old Corona that a great darkness would fall over the world if he were to uproot the flower.The King didn't listen and continued his search, but he couldn't find anything.All hope to save Princess Rapunzel was lost or so it seemed as the King came to know exactly where the flower was, but with a warning to only take a petal.Once again the warning fell to deaf ears as the King feared a petal wouldn't be enough.The young Princess was saved, but her once chocolate hair had turned to gold.The Kingdom celebrated, but their joy was short lived as the Princess was stolen from her bed that very same night.An old woman denunced the kidnapper and they had been dealt with immediatly, but the Princess was no where to be found and monsters have started to appear all over the Seven Kingdoms.
Relationships: Cassandra & Gothel (Disney: Tangled), Cassandra & Owl (Disney: Tangled)
Comments: 18
Kudos: 20





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Since I like to complicate my life, instead of following the prompts like any sane person I would do I made a whole fic based around them.
> 
> So there it is the result, each chapter doesn't follow the day to day prompt but the key words are here and sometimes will repeat.  
> Like in this chapter we both have Owl buddy and Hard times, but there are other parts that would fit those two as well.

Cassandra always did as her Mother's said, she heed her words without question and sometimes she was rewarded with an hug, a soft pat on her head or a simple I love you.

Those rewards were precious to Cassandra, eager as she was to make her mother happy and to be at the receiving end of loving gesture.

Nothing else mattered in her live but her Mother.

When she outgrew her childhood bed Mother had her move to a tattered blanket on the kitchen floor with a single pillow, claiming she was too big to keep sleeping in her Mother's room.

Cassandra took a while to get used to floor, but she did it, Mother said there was no other choice unless she wanted to kick her own mother out her warm bed.

Everyday she was to do chores around the house and make dinner, Mother never did, but Cassandra accepted it because she didn't have any money and she had a roof on her head.

Where else would she go?

Mother made her sew gloves everyday, she told her it was to keep her hands occupied so that she wouldn't get bored.

The gloves also disappeared everyday, Cassandra never questioned it, she was just glad they were gone.

She hated sewing, but Mother got upset if she doesn't make any so she keeps sewing.

Cassandra was also to take care of their garden, to sow the land and plant the vegetables, to harvest them and the peaches on their trees when the time was right.

She also was in charge of getting firewood, it was by far the most grueling work as Mother wanted her to go far in the forest to gather berries and hazelnuts, even with the cart it was heavy work.

Mother never helped, she had other stuff to think about and Cassandra never wanted to bother her.

The big meals Cassandra prepared everyday were all for Mother, since Mother was the bigger one it stood true that she needed more food.

Cassandra was allowed some bread and water, they couldn't afford more and she didn't want to make Mother suffer hunger for her.

The table was too small for both to eat here at once, so Cassandra patiently waited for Mother to eat before cleaning the kitchen and eating her own meal.

Sometimes Mother would allow her some jam.

Mother had some books and Cassandra remembered asking to be taught how to read them, but Mother had just said reading was a waste of time and there was to much too be done in the house to bother with it.

Her loyalty to Mother was so true that one day she was rewarded an big secret.

"Mama, why do you always look sick when you leave the house?" it had been an innocent question spoken through Dinner, a roast with mushrooms and steamed potatoes, Cassandra wasn't even expecting Mother to answer her

"You see my dear, I have found a special flower it keeps me healthy and strong when I sing a song to it"

"So you are not sick anymore?"

"Yes and no, unfortunately your dearest Mother has an incurable sickness, if it weren't for my wonderful flower I would have been in the ground long before you were born"

Knowing her mother was sick just made Cassandra work harder.

* * *

Cassandra was fourteen, dressed in a ragged green dress, her shoes consisting of rags wrapped around her feet.

Her curled dark hair was a long tangled mess that reached a little over her shoulders.

She was filthy with grime and sweat.

She was in the woods on her way back to her house after filling the cart with wood, which she would chop into firewood later, berries and hazelnuts.

The cart moved slowly as she pushed it, it's a wonder it could move at all full as it was.

Mother would be disappointed if it wasn't.

Cassandra pushed and pushed, ignoring her screaming muscles and bleeding feet, focused as she was to complete what was expected from her.

Then she stopped.

The sound of feeble desperate chirps had broke her focus, she let go of the cart and looked for the source.

It wasn't hard to find and when she did, Cassandra's eyes widened in horror.

There was fallen down nest, an owl laid dead with an arrow in it's neck, the remains of their last prey in their berk.

The sound came from under the nest, Cassandra picked it up and discarded it to the side revealing an hungry and desperate owlet.

Their mother must have got shot just as she was about to feed them, accidentally taking down the nest as she fell down dead.

It must have been horrible for the owlet to witness their own mother die, to stay so close with her corpse.

Cassandra couldn't just leave it here.

Mother didn't want animals.

It was the first time she disobeyed one of Mother's wishes and gained a friend.

Her first friend.

* * *

She called him Owl, Mother doesn't know about him, she kept him hidden as on owlet in her little chest and when he grew up he went to live in a tree near the cottage.

Owl knew to not interact with Cassandra when Mother was home, and Mother had no idea the owl she sometimes saw near her house was anything more then a wild animal.

The owl wasn't stupid and quickly understood Cassandra's mother for the vile snake she was, so he hoped to make Cassandra see it as well.

When Mother was home Owl would fly away and look for a nicer nest for him and his friend, he then lead Cassandra here hoping she would like it enough to leave the snake behind.

Cassandra hated to admit it, but she looked forward to her Mother leaving so that she could see what other place Owl had found.

Sure she still did her chores for the day, but instead of resting at home or doing more she entertained herself with those little excursions.

There were so many wonderful places to see so close to her, what else she missed out?

Mother did point out Cassandra was slacking off, and while the comment hurt her, Cassandra simply couldn't devote all of her to Mother anymore.

She craved those moments away the cottage.

Owl also hunted an extra mice for Cassandra as he could tell the human needed extra food, but to his frustration she never ate them.

Till one day Mother saw the dead mice by Cassandra's nest

"Well little pest, I assume that would be good to eat once cleaned and cooked" Owl could tell Mother was making fun of his human and his feathers ruffed

"You want to roasted mice?" Cassandra had asked completely confused by her Mother's words and oblivious to malice behind them

"of course not, but if you can't catch something better I guess you can eat that, just do it outside the house I don't want my food to be next such thing, let alone prepared with the same tools" Mother didn't realize her words had spurred Cassandra to attempt hunting for her food.

* * *

While her Mother was just referring to the mice, Cassandra understood it as a blessing to eat whatever animal she could catch.

This in Cassandra's eyes was huge, all of this time she was only allowed bread, now she could be eating a roast like Mother as long as she was able to catch it!

So the next time she left with Owl Cassandra tried to hunt, her prey was a rabbit.

She didn't think it would be so hard to get a simple rabbit, she had been running after it and falling on her face for hours.

She tried again and again to jump at it and kill it with a sharp rock, she couldn't possibly risk breaking Mother's axe for such thing, but the rabbit always dodged her attack at the last minute making her hurt herself as she crashed on the ground and against trees.

At some point Cassandra was sure she got a mouthful of dirt.

The Rabbit was mocking her, the demonic critter was moving in a circle and pausing in its steps instead of escaping.

It was overconfident that this tiny starved human would never be able to catch it and it was fun to watch the human continuously slam into things.

Unfortunately the Rabbit had gotten so used to their the pattern it didn't expect the human to throw the sharp rock it was holding.

It was dead before the surprise registered in its eyes.

Cassandra collapsed on the ground trying to catch her breath, unable to stop the smile on her face as her opponent was defeated.

She let out a laugh

"Owl did you see that!? I did it!"

Her laugh was cut short by a clapping noise

Owl had watched the whole thing, while he wanted to help his human he also understood that this was her first prey and he had no business butting in.

How was she going to lean how to hunt if she relied on him?

Still he did notice some other human was watching the whole thing and readied himself to attack the possible threat if needed.

"Congratulations, I didn't expect you to make it, Stripes" a big woman with white hair, her face half painted in red came in her vision.

"Stripes!?" Cassandra instantaneously hated being called such way.

"I can't be bothered to learn names so I just give people nicknames"

"and who are you supposed to be, Two faces? what do you want from me?" Mother had warned her about strangers and if she weren't so tired she would have tried to run off.

Did this woman want to steal her rabbit!?

"Ah I was merely watching your horrible attempt at hunting, I suggest you either use a bow or put a trap next time, not all rabbits will be so stupid to play around" and just like that the woman was gone.

A single sharp knife left in her place, which Cassandra ended up picking up.

How was she supposed to prepare the rabbit with her bare hands?

* * *

It wouldn't be the first time Cassandra was interrupted by the woman she called Two faces.

Two faces would arrive tell her what she did wrong, and give a suggestion.

Cassandra didn't like Two faces, but redundantly followed the hints.

Those weren't just about her method of hunting, but also on how she skinned the animal and instructions on how to cure the pelts.

This had lasted for about month, till one day she found a short sword, a bow and a quiver.

Two faces was nowhere to be seen, but Cassandra knew it was a gift from her.

Didn't Mother practically say that anything she caught was _**hers**_? she just had to keep it outside.

Cassandra did just that, she make her own little storage in a hollow truck and hid it.

The pelts and Two faces's gift was safe here.

She knew she was probably stretching Mother's words, but the mere concept of having something just hers made her look for a loophole to get it.

* * *

Three years have passed since Owl became her friend.

Cassandra was content with her life even if it was hard.

Owl was taking her to a new place, it was bit far, but Cassandra was confident she would be able to get back before Mother noticed her absence.

She found herself at some ruins and a big dead tree, which disappointed her as she didn't find it interesting, but Owl was urging her to follow her still, curious about what her friend wanted to show her, she followed.

Cassandra mouth fell open as she saw a lake so big she couldn't see the end of it, in her shock she would have probably fall off the ledge if two little hands didn't catch her dress and pulled her back

"Be careful!" a soft small voice had called out in worry

"eh?" Cassandra turned and saw no one

"I am down here silly" the voice giggled, she lowered her gaze and saw a little girl with chocolate hair and vibrant green eyes, dressed in a fine pastel green dress.

"Rapunzel! I told you to not run off!" a woman, carrying a big basket, dressed in a purple dress with chocolate hair and a the same eyes reached up to them as the girl clasped Cassandra's hand and run to meet with her dragging the older girl along.

"Mom! look who I found! she was about to fall off the cliff like a dum dum!" she had said as went to hug her mother.

"hey, it's not my fault I have never seen a lake so big!" Cassandra was embarrassed

"lake? that's the sea! you are really a dum dum!" and the embarrassment just grew as the girl, Rapunzel, just laughed in her face

"Dear, it's not nice to laugh at people" at that Rapunzel tried to make an effort to not laugh "so what your name? I have never seen you in the city"

"I live in the forest"

"is that so? your name, and where are your parents?"

"I am...Stripes, I live with my mother" Cassandra didn't feel comfortable sharing her name with strangers, if anything she had the urge to just run back in the forest.

"Stripes?" Rapunzel seemed confused by the odd name

"Alright Stripes" the way the woman said it made Cassandra understand she knew that wasn't her name "want to join us on our picnic?"

"My Mother is waiting for me" Cassandra just didn't trust them so she fled.

"Hey wait!" Rapunzel's voice called out to her, but she didn't hear anyone follwing her.

* * *

Owl was disappointed, he hoped meeting nicer humans would make his friend leave Mother.

Still there was still hope, as Cassandra got enamoured with the sight of the sea and those two humans came to that spot often.


	2. Just a Petal

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...and shit is about to happen.
> 
> This is short but needed

Cassandra kept coming to admire the sea when she could, sometimes Rapunzel and the other woman, Arianna, were here as well.

The woman never did anything more than offer her food or talk with her while Rapunzel just wanted to play with her, which she has no idea how to do as she can't even remember the last time she played but she doesn't want to admit it based on the way the girl laughed at her for not knowing the sea.

So Cassandra simply dodged both, yet she was growing fond of them.

The way Rapunzel's face scrunched up as she whined over Stripes never playing with her, was just too adorable.

Was Arianna leaving some food behind on purpose? she doesn't know but she wasn't going to leave it here.

She doesn't know what this strange bread with this odd jam was, but she loved it.

Soon she came here less for the sight and more to meet up with them.

* * *

It had been about three months since their first meeting when both Arianna and Rapunzel stopped coming, Cassandra was sure they would show up eventually, but when it happened Arianna arrived here alone.

Warning bells rang in Cassandra's head, as she took a look at Arianna's mournful face.

Something bad had happened.

"Where is Rapunzel?" she had asked

"I am afraid my daughter is too sick to get out of bed"

"...but she's going to be okay? right?"

"I am afraid not, the one thing that could save her is nothing but a myth" Cassandra was shocked to hear such words "I won't be coming back, I am sorry but this place is too full of memories, I doubt I would ever be able to set foot here once she..." Arianna let down a sob, then she held out her hand "please just come with me, let me help you"

"No, this can't be right" Cassandra couldn't believe this, she couldn't accept it, she started pacing up and down panic clear in her voice "She looked fine before...I didn't even get to play with her...I should have let her explain...she doesn't even know my name" Arianna tried to hug her to soothe her distress but Cassandra dodged her as she remembered

"My Mother is sick too, but she sings to a flower to heal herself" she blundered out "would that work for Rapunzel?"

"a flower? the Sundrop flower? you know where it is? we need a petal from it to cure Rapunzel" Arianna let out a big hopeful smile

"No, but I can follow Mother tomorrow, come back hear the day after and I will show you"

"Thank you Stripes!" the woman exclaimed and gave her a big bear hug, Cassandra froze as she was never hugged before.

"My name is Cassandra" she got a bright smile back

"Thank you Cassandra" then the fear of the flower disappearing and her Mother drying hit her

"Just promise you will only take a petal, my Mother still needs it" Cassandra was quick to say as she realized she was putting Mother in danger

"I promise"

Cassandra believed her and was true to her word even if she felt guilty for betraying Mother, but the flower was just missing a petal.

_It wasn't a big deal._

She was going to let Rapunzel teach her how to play next time they meet.

Everything was going to be fine.

**THUD**

**THUD**

**THUD**

Cassandra jumped awake from her spot on the floor

"CASSANDRA NIGHTINGALE UNHAND THE PRINCESS"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short but needed chapter...or maybe I just wanted to leave you all with an Evil cliff hanger.
> 
> Prepare your seatbelt and brace yourselvers for next chapter.


	3. The Voice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cassandra has a bad time

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You might want to kill Gothel with your own hands after this one.

"CASSANDRA NIGHTINGALE UNHAND THE PRINCESS"

**THUD**

**THUD**

**THUD**

What's going on? What’s a princess, whatever it is she doesn't have it!

**THUD**

**THUD**

**THUD**

"THIS IS THE ROYAL GUARD OPEN UP THIS DOOR AND SURRENDER YOURSELF!"

**THUD**

**THUD**

**THUD**

Cassandra had no idea what was happening, but one thing was clear to her, this people wanted to kill her, she had to do something before they entered the house.

She doesn't have her weapons here so she can't defend herself.

Mother wasn't home and Owl was going to be hunting in the forest at this hour

Yes! The forest, she can hide here, maybe even reach the hollow trunk with her weapons and harm herself

**THUD**

**THUD**

**THUD**

The door wasn't going to last for long, how was she going to get out?! Cassandra looked around till her eyes settled on the small widow near her, she tried to open it but it was stuck.

She will have to bust trough to get out, wrapping her tin blanket over her head to minimize the damage as took a running start and jumped.

The window broke just as the door did.

Cassandra could feel the glass cutting her skin despite the blanket, yet it was to be expected, how could such flimsy material protect her?

She didn't lose time checking on her injures as soon as her feet hit the ground she started running, the forest was right here, she would be safe the moment she reached it!

Cassandra fell.

She tasted dirt as her body scraped the ground, she tried to get up but couldn't, why did her legs hurt so much? A quick glance made her eyes widen in horror.

Two arrows had pierced her right leg, one to the knee and another to her foreleg.

Another arrow had hit her left thigh.

She can't run.

She was going to die.

She didn't want to die, not yet.

Cassandra started crawling, the well was just here, she could use it to get on her feet, and maybe if she just stood up she could bring herself to run.

She can hear the steps, they will have to go around her home to get here, and if they could have passed through the window she would be already dead.

She had time, they thought she was done for; it was her chance to escape.

She clawed at the well rock structure with all her strength to climb it, in her desperate haste some of her nails were broken and ripped from her fingers, but her adrenaline was too high to notice it.

Yes! She lifted herself up, but she had to stop herself from falling into the darkness of the bottomless well.

She let out a sigh of relief as she kept a precarious balance.

She tasted blood, her vision went haze but she could see the blade of a sword covered in red, she could make out the emblem of the sun engraved on it.

All Cassandra could think about was how shameful it was for such an beautiful weapon to be dirty, then it was gone from her chest and she was saw no more.

* * *

"Andrew what have you done? We needed her alive to interrogate!" the Captain of the Guards yelled out as he saw what his new recruit push the culprit into the well after stabbing her in the back.

"The King had ordered to kill the captor on sight, I just followed my orders" the recruit in question had no remorse for his actions, something about the small smirk on his face just screamed trouble, he will have to keep an eye on him.

"It was unnecessary she was disarmed and couldn't run, now we don't know where she took the Princess or if she was even guilty, she was just a girl for the Sun sake!" the Captain had his doubts, which doubled when he saw the girl.

His gut told him the girl was just framed, but he had no proof and King Frederic in his ire didn't listen to him.

"I followed the orders" Andrew repeated smug, the Captain knew he couldn't do anything about him at the moment and the little shit was aware of it as well.

"Search the house!" the Captain had no choice but to look for anything to follow the probably false lead as to not upset the King.

* * *

Cassandra found herself in a strange place she rose to her feet in confusion as she standing on water.

She was confused, why the water wasn't swallowing her up? Looking around she saw only water around her then her glance focused entirely at the sight before her.

The moon, way bigger then she had ever seen the light emitting from it was showering this strange place in blue hues.

Cassandra then remembered the last events and hastily checked herself for injuries.

She could see them, but they brought her no pain and she could move just fine.

Her hands could feel a rough surface as if something was slapped over them to close them up and that something was glowing in blue.

Did she die? She must be dead, this doesn't make any sense!

**Mortal do you have any idea what you have done?**

A voice boomed all around, despite talking in a calming tone, Cassandra felt as if it was shouting at her, scolding her for something.

"What? I didn't do anything!" Cassandra said back feeling a dum dum, as Rapunzel would put it, to be talking by herself

**Thanks to you the Sundrop had been removed, the barrier fell and now the Monsters and Zhan Tiri will rampage all over the world.**

"I didn't touch the flower" that's right she didn't, she just allowed Arianna to get a petal

**Foolish mortal, you brought the Queen to the Sundrop, she told her husband, the King, who couldn't wait for the single petal to heal their daughter so he sent his guard to remove it and use it whole as if it were a common herb.**

The voice was furious and totally outraged.

"...Arianna?...but she promised" Cassandra couldn't believe it, that woman was a Queen? She didn't even know what it meant, but it sounded important.

Worse yet, Arianna had betrayed her.

This can't be happening.

**I see all of your actions were fruit of selfishness, ignorance and naivety.**

**You wished so much to keep everything as you liked it that you doomed your own world, but before you could see the consequences of your actions you were betrayed by that despicable human you call mother.**

**How pitiful.**

"My Mother? She didn't do anything!" Cassandra was quick to defend her, only for the voice to start laughing.

**You are so deluded, allow me to enlighten you.**

* * *

Cassandra was quickly assaulted by images.

She saw with teary eyes as her Mother kidnapped a weirdly blonde Rapunzel from her bed, hide her in a barrel, then used her old appearance to set the King after her.

"Make sure that little pest doesn't survive" she had heard her Mother say to a man covered in a golden armor, she couldn't see who he was as he was showing her back to her.

"Not a problem Freddy boy was so foolish as to order to kill the kidnapper on sight, I can get away with it, but the Captain will be suspicious of me for a while" he let out a smirk "but remember your part of the deal, once her parents are dead we will put the royal brat on the throne as a figure head and Saporia will raise again"

"Be assured, I won't forget, you really think I would miss out living my whole life in luxury?" Mother had said back

"it isn't really necessary to have your own child killed, I am sure Freddy Boy would be kind enough to have her tortured in the dungeons, that would sure teach her a lesson and maybe you can still reunite later"

"You really think I wanted that brat in the first place? she doesn't even share my blood I stole her from a family that pissed me off as revenge, I was hoping the pest would have died off if I overworked and famished her enough, but those royal brats from the Dark Kingdom are quite resistant, however she did make a good slave till she betrayed me so I can't really complain" the way Mother talked about her, as if she was just trash that happened in her way, made her want to curl up in a ball and cry, but she couldn't.

Cassandra was forced to watch the whole thing without being able to move or blink.

"So it was you that kidnapped King Edmund's daughter" the man laughed "thanks to your little revenge Corona had been blamed and lost the Dark Kingdom trading routes for years, weakening the Kingdom enough that us Saporians could act, you truly are a gift for Saporia"

"Eh I don't flatter yourself; I didn't do it for you"

"Fair enough, might I ask what the Dark Kingdom do to you?"

"King Edmund refused to fall to my charms, what an irrational man, he lost his wife over that little pest and I was so generous as to offer myself as the new Queen, and what he does? He threatens to have me thrown in the dungeons! What an asshole! But enough of this, do your job!" Cassandra had no idea what they were talking about, she was just heartbroken by what she heard and all the talk about her true family completely went over her head.

"Sure thing!" the man went away, barely holding his laugh.

Cassandra didn't want to watch or hear anymore but she was forced to see Gothel putting Rapunzel in a bag and carry her like a sack of potatoes all the way to a hidden tower, where she ended up putting the child in cage.

The vision finally stopped.

* * *

Cassandra fell to her knees and cried.

**Now that your illusions have been shattered, you need to pay for your role in causing this cataclysm to this word.**

**The Sundrop is dormant in that child and wouldn't be of any help as it is now, which is why I will make you my champion and donate some of my power for your quest.**

"What do you want from me!? I am dead! Just let me die in peace it was the King that got the flower, not me!" she couldn’t bare this anymore, why couldn’t she just rest? She was dead, wasn’t she? And now she’s being tortured with the knowledge it was her Mother who made it so she would be slaughtered, why can’t that be an enough punishment for her foolishness?

**It was your selfishness that made it possible so you must fix this mess and atone for your Mother sins!**

"Mother betrayed me; she has nothing to do with this!" Cassandra was still defending her, she couldn't help it.

Mother was still her Mother.

**That despicable human used the Sundrop to keep herself young and beautiful for centuries, even now she plans and to keep her horrid act.**

"I won't act against my Mother" Cassandra feared this being wanted her to kill Mother, but she wouldn't do it, it didn't matter that Mother did to her.

Her love was so true she couldn't just stop loving Mother out of the blue.

**Rest assured your Quest will be to destroy Zhan Tiri, as it should have done centuries ago; the demon is still stuck where the Sundrop rest but it won't be for long and its mere presence is making all monsters violent.**

**Defeat Zhan Tiri, then your race will have a chance to coexist with the monsters, refuse to do so and your kind will be exterminated.**

Cassandra didn't even get to protest as glowing Opal flew to her chest and she saw nothing more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cass completely missed that she's royalty...not that she knows what that is...  
> The notion Gothel, her Mother, betrayed and used her all of this years just broke her.
> 
> The Voice is the Moon and Cass just got the Moonstone.
> 
> yes that man Cass couldn't see was Andrew, if it wasn't clear.
> 
> Cass didn't exactly die, but she didn't heal either...you will see what I mean later.
> 
> Next chapter should be a little calmer, just monster killing.


	4. Free, but not really.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guest star: a Slime.  
> .  
> .  
> .  
> .  
> .  
> .  
> oh there is also Lance, Kiera, Catalina and the Judge that made a mess with Varian's invention.  
> I forgot his name.

Cassandra stained to wake herself, did Mother throw freezing water at her for oversleeping?

It sure feels like it.

What's this noise? it's so loud yet relaxing.

She feels the sun on her face, strange usually it never gets to her spot.

How could it be both freezing and warm?

**whoosh**

**whoosh**

**whoosh**

Mother isn't hitting her with the broom, maybe she forgot and left.

She could let herself fall asleep, just a few minutes.

She's going to get her chores done, but now she wants to sleep a little more.

**whoosh**

**whoosh**

**whoosh**

This sound is so nice...

**whoosh**

_hoot_

**whoosh**

**whoosh**

What was that?

_whoosh_

**HOOT**

**HOOT**

A peck to her nose made Cassandra sit up on reflex

"Owl, I was going to get up, Mother left I could have slept more, but did you woke me up?" she complained her eyes still closed.

She feel silent when her sight fell on her surroundings.

She was staring at the sea, not by the cliff, up close, its water was swallowing and retracting from her.

Alarmed that she would be taken by this weird phenomenon she backed off with her hands and feet, her panic growing as even the ground seemly wanted to cave under her, making it hard to move away, then strange black spike pulsing briefly in a blue energy rose in the opposite direction as if to stab the sea.

Cassandra looked at those with wide eyes, then she noticed she was dressed weird.

She was covered in some strange black cloth with a blue stripe going from the glowing stone in her chest spiralling down all the way her foot, spikes were on her forearms and legs.

They seemed quite pointy.

"What's is this stuff?" Cassandra wondered out loud as she tried to take it off, but the material wouldn't bulge, it was stuck to her skin and trying to get the stone out of her chest made her shout in pain.

Her chest and legs hurt.

She remembered this pain.

She remembered everything.

It wasn't a nightmare.

_hoot?_

**NO**

She didn't want to think about that, she wanted to do anything but think about it.

Cassandra rose to carefully rose to her feet, the strange ground crumbled a little at her full weight but it was holding.

She was lightly aware of Owl flying around her in concern as she carefully walked away from this odd ground.

Okay she reached the forest, now what?

Before Cassandra could think of it she was attacked, some weird creature, it seemed to be made of water but it wasn't solid, it had the consistence of snot.

That's what she could observe as she accidentally sliced it in two with the spikes on her forearm when she raised her arm in defence.

She watched in confusion as the creature became two smaller versions of itself, she rose both her arms and prepared to fight back as it jumped at her again.

Cassandra dodged and sliced one of them during the move then took advantage of the spikes on her legs to hit the other with a kick.

The creatures died, but much to Cassandra's surprise they reformed just like before now it was an four versus one fight.

However the creatures were so weak, it was easy to kill them again then they did their trick again, but this time it enraged Cassandra

"CUT IT OUT!" she yelled out as she did those spikes rose from the ground again and impaled them all on the spot.

This time they stayed dead.

Cassandra understood she was the one to make those spikes and after a moment of hesitation she smiled.

"Owl did you see that!? It was me!" she cheered as a flabbergasted Owl stared at her "let's see what else I can do!" and so Cassandra started to practice with her power, putting anything else in tight closed box in a corner of her mind.

New odd creatures attacked her and all they did was to offer themselves as practice dummies.

Soon Cassandra started to seek them out on purpose just for fun.

A whole month passed.

Cassandra was enjoying herself, nobody was bossing her around, she could fight as much as liked and her power was simply the best thing that ever happened to her after finding Owl.

She could make all sorts of weapon, turn what she understood was an armor in any shape and best of all she didn't need to eat or sleep.

Pain and hunger were just a memory.

She had never felt so good in her life.

Owl could stay at her side the whole time, there was no need to hide anymore.

She was free.

* * *

Owl was worried, he could tell something was wrong with Cassandra, he had feared the worst when he came back and saw all of that blood and relieved to find his friend still alive by the sea.

He didn't care that she had odd powers, and her eyes and hair changed to blue, she was still his best friend.

He suspected her change had something to do the creatures that started roaming around, but it was just a theory.

However he was sure Cassandra was repressing something, while Owl was happy that she had no intention of coming back to Mother he could tell there was something deeply bothering her as she kept to the forest and didn't once attempt to meet up with those nice humans.

This happiness she was sporting, seemed a bit fake.

What happened while he was hunting for his dinner?

_AGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHh_

A shout caught Cassandra's attention, she rushed towards it without a trace of doubt brandishing a black long sword she had made completely with her power.

She jumped and decapitated what could only be described as a horrible giant spider, killing it in one strike.

The same fate fell on the spider's kin as they tried to jump on her at the same time, Cassandra simply willed two spikes out the ground to stab them both in a moment.

Cassandra was ready to retreat back to the forest when a rock hit her, she turned in surprise towards the small child who threw it

"Angry! what are you doing" this voice belonged to a tall bald man with a skin tone so dark that Cassandra had never seen.

She didn't even know humans could be of that colour.

"don't you see she's a monster too!" the child was being restricted by the grown man.

"but she saved us" a quieter voice coming from another child with red hair calmed down the other

"I suppose, Lance just screamed like a little girl and froze up"

"Hey didn't you see how big was that spider! they aren't supposed to be this big!" Lance protested

"Mind I remember you that I hired you three to protect me!? I knew there was a catch for such low price! hey you do you want their job, I will give you free housing and everything inside the walls!" an old man with a long nose and mostly bald had called out to Cassandra

"No thanks, I live in the forest" she told them and went to live

"impossible! ever since the creatures appeared all the cities without walls are mostly a death zone! let alone the forests even if this area is relatively peaceful" the man was deep in thought then he looked at her with wide eyes "wait you have been killing the creatures here, that's why Old Corona is still standing even without walls!"

Cassandra left the group to their chatter and retreated, her conscience screaming at her.

* * *

In her haste to forget her own troubles and dismissing what the Voice had told her she had totally forgot about Zhan Tiri.

She had never been to a city, she had only briefly seen one from a distance and she knew a lot of people lived here.

How many had died for a term such as death zone to be used?

She was selfish just like the voice had said, but no more.

Zhan Tiri was going to die before the sun set.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In Cass's defense if she rushed to ZT without training her Moonstone powers she would have been killed XD  
> Also she needed a breather.
> 
> Next chapter Zhan Tiri fight and a little snippet of what happened while Cass was enjoying the Hakuna Matata ways.
> 
> Ps: I started writing this at 5 P.M instead of 11 A.M as my usual, that's why it dropped so late.


	5. Zhan Tiri

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fight!
> 
> and the Sun and Moon bickering as an old married couple

Cassandra had only been here twice, the fist when she followed Mother here and the second when she lead Arianna here, but she didn't forget the place.

It didn't take long to find a familiar path and make her way here, but she didn't let Owl follow her, she told him to wait at her hollowed trunk for her return.

The creatures never posed a big danger to her, but her gut told her that Zhan Tiri would be different.

She couldn't allow her only friend to get hurt.

She paused upon reaching her destination.

At first Cassandra thought it was an odd giant boulder but it uncurled revealing a being with obsidian skin taller than anything Cassandra had ever seen up close.

Its head was adorned by a pair of goat horns and its eyes were glowing in purple.

Its arms were long and each finger of its hand was armed with sharp claws.

Looking at the being's feet Cassandra felt a shiver down her spine, as what she supposed was Zhan Tiri was trapped from the waist down in some kind of hole.

What she could see was just half the demon size.

 **"Ah you have the Moonstone opal, you must be the Moon's champion"** Zhan Tiri spoke with a wide upsetting smile **"I was starting to fear you would never show up"**

"I am here to kill you!" Cassandra shouted back ready to start this fight and be done with this, but the unspoken question still lingered, why was the demon so happy to see her?

 **"Poor mortal, the Moon didn't tell you the whole story, did she?"** Zhan Tiri was giggling at her in amusement **"I guess I will tell you before I devour you, what's happening today is no surprise as it was already written many years ago"**

"What?"

 **"A selfish need to keep things still will lead to the Sundrop being uprooted, the monsters will once again roam the World, but Zhan Tiri will only be truly freed with the power of the Moon, only the selfish mortal wielding such power will have a chance to vanquish Zhan Tiri from this world"** Cassandra brought an hand to the opal on her chest as the demon's impossibly large grin widened even more "as if I could be slain by a mere mortal!"

Cassandra had thought of just stabbing the demon with the spikes and be done with it, but they were on a cliff, her spikes would cause it to collapse before they hit the target and there was the danger of accidentally freeing Zhan Tiri, that's why she charged with her sword, but she was swatted away as if she were a mere fly.

 **"Oh you want to play? suit yourself, try all you want, I will devour you whole when you can't move anymore and enjoy watching you lose all hope"** the Demon was smug but Cassandra didn't give up.

She charged Zhan Tiri again and again, but each time she ended up slammed to the rock wall.

Cassandra realized the Demon wasn't breaking a sweat, yet she didn't give up even when she started to feel the pain and exhaustion despite the Moonstone.

It was as if the opal couldn't provide her energy at the same rate she was losing it, yet the power of it stayed the same as if the problem was caused by a delay in giving power to Cassandra, only she had never noticed because she barely used it.

 **"So you noticed? the Moonstone is wasted in the hand of mere human host, soon not even its power will protect you"** Zhan Tiri had gleefully informed her, making it clear Cassandra was going to lose.

Yet Cassandra kept trying and she was swatted away the memory of a snug rabbit, her first hunt, swirled in her mind, that rabbit could have run off any time it wanted, but yet it had stayed to mock her, just like Zhan Tiri could kill her in any moment yet she was merely toying with her.

Cassandra knew what she had to do.

She only had one shot.

 **"Oh I guess the game is over"** Zhan Tiri sang out in delight as Cassandra stayed still on the ground after the last attack, the demon picked her up by the leg, the sword clattering on the ground.

The demon opened her mouth wide and let go devouring Cassandra whole just like she promised she would, so overjoyed at the prospect of being free from her prison that she didn't notice Cassandra was staying a bit too still, her form too stiff to be the pose of someone exhausted.

Zhan Tiri was granted a few moments happiness before her snack became a ball of spikes

"you shouldn't have played with your food" Cassandra taunted her as the demon wheezed and vomited blood as she clawed at her own throat out of instinct as if such action would help her in breathing anything but her own blood and not speed her demise.

True to her last words, Cassandra didn't want to just wait for Zhan Tiri to die, this was her only shot, she had to make sure the demon stayed dead, if there was anything that fighting those creatures had taught her was that they always had some unnatural trump card in their sleeve.

Zhan Tiri might split in two like the first creature she faced, or still keep fighting even without her head, maybe she might reanimate her corpse and fight just with her bones.

No, Cassandra didn't want to leave a single piece of Zhan Tiri around, but how?

The Moonstone felt her wish and charged with energy.

A blinding pillar of electric blue light reached the sky and stayed still for a few minutes, the phenomenon was seen for miles and the people were stuck in awe at such display.

When it was it ascended to the sky, Cassandra was laying on the ground donning the ragged oversized shirt she uses to sleep in, the Moonstone was nowhere to be seen and it was as if the opal had never reached her.

The shirt was stained in her blood, the arrows still stuck in her legs, yet the wounds weren't as deep as they should have been, it was as if they had healed a little but not completely.

Cassandra's body was asleep, but her spirit was somewhere else.

* * *

**Well done mortal, Zhan Tiri's remains would have recomposed in mere centuries if you didn't completely erase her.**

Cassandra found herself standing on water, she was back to that strange place, she trembled as a painful realization hit her

"I am dead, aren't I?"

**Under normal circumstances, yes, but my power had closed your wounds enough that you would live**

"Then why I am here?" Cassandra questioned

**It wasn't my idea.**

**_Don't be rude, she did more than was expected of her despite your poor explanations_ **

This voice was warmer and more joyful then the other one.

Suddenly a warm light peaked from behind the gigantic moon.

**_Forgive me for not showing myself, but my light would be too bright for human eyes_ **

**The human would have never faced Zhan Tiri if she knew she could have ended up freeing the demon.**

**_It was still rude of you to taunt her that way! you hurt the human feelings on purpose!_ **

**I had a reason, and I give more credit to humans by not spelling out everything for them!**

**_if I followed your lead the human would have lost her chance before she figured it out!_ **

"I am sick and tired to being called human!" Cassandra snapped "my name is Cassandra, I am sure you all mighty Gods can remember such a simple name!"

**Such insolence.**

**_Dear don't be mad, Cassandra did us such a big favour, we are finally together after so long_ **

Cassandra watched as the warm light mingled with the cold one emitted from the moon producing a breathtaking multicoloured effect all over the sky.

She had never seen anything like it and it was so beautiful, yet for some reason she felt as if she was watching something private.

**_hehehe sorry Cassandra, alright I wanted to warn you about your Mother_ **

"My Mother? is she alright?"

**ugh you still feel affection for the human that stole your from your kin and treated you like a slave?**

**_Hush honey, the power you unleashed with the Moonstone woke me up, so without Zhan Tiri around I had no reasons to stay and came back home, your Mother had used my power to keep herself alive and young for many years, so now that I am gone_ **

"She's dead" Cassandra's heart sank

**_Not yet, she will last for a week and no more, this is why I wanted to warn you, to give you a chance to confront her and say goodbye_ **

**I didn't show you where she brought the princess to be mean, however if you were to move too much with that battled body of your there is a good chance you will die**.

**_But if you don't, Gothel is sure to take her anger to the princess on the seventh day and kill her._ **

**Choose wisely.**

* * *

Cassandra jumped awake, but someone was quick to push her down to the softest thing she had ever laid down

"easy here! Moon's champion!" it was that dark skinned man she saved from the giant spiders "So I don't know what you did with that light show, but I could swear those monsters calmed down ever since, so thank you, but now please rest up"

"How?" she struggled to say, a glass full of fresh water was brought to her lips

"oh that old man saw you going all determined somewhere and wanted to follow you for as he put it _the good the science_ so we all watched the fight, sorry for not helping but little old me wouldn't have stood a chance with that thing if you couldn't" the man was rambling and this wasn't what Cassandra wanted to know

"How long was I asleep?" was it already too late?

"around six days?"

Good, there was still time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yay Zhan Tiri is dead.
> 
> Next chapter Gothel confrontation.


	6. Mother

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Today's chapter came late cause I am really busy with chores on Saturdays.  
> but here it is! enjoy.
> 
> Cass didn't like this chapter one bit.

Cassandra waited her first chance to sneak out the village, she knew that man, Lance, wouldn't let her out and she needed to reach that tower as soon as possible.

Her body protested the movement, her legs barely held her up, but she grid her teeth and kept moving, she had to reach Mother and get answers.

Rapunzel was in danger as well and she wasn't going to let this whole mess pass just to have the girl die.

Cassandra just couldn't wait, not when so many things were on line.

She was afraid she wouldn't find the way in time, but once she reached the forest she oriented herself quite easily.

She would pass by her hollow tree, and she took the opportunity to arm herself as the monsters weren't gone from this world.

Owl followed her this time hooting in concern as seeing her in this state, but unable to stop her from moving.

* * *

She reached the tower just as was about to set on the seventh day, her injuries and exhaustion has slowed her that much.

Normally she would have covered such distance in a few hours.

"Mother! are you here!?" Cassandra yelled out from outside but got no answer, fearing the worst had already happened she braced herself and started climbing the stairs all the way to the top of the tower.

She reached the latch and pushed it open.

The first thing she saw was Rapunzel gagged and tied into that cage, the princess was trying to tell her something, Cassandra moved forward to free her.

It was only thanks to Owl that a dagger meant to stab her in the back never reached its mark as the bird flew in the face of the would be murderer

"Mother? Owl stop!" Cassandra shouted out as she recognized the old figure as her mother, Owl obeyed with reluctance, but figuring out Mother wouldn't have the energy to move from the ground, he snatched a key that fell from Mother's pockets and went to free Rapunzel.

"You are still alive...lousy pest" however the old woman didn't have the energy to move from the ground, getting older and older as minutes passed "I should have...know that owl was yours...there have never been any nests near my house"

Cassandra knelt down by her Mother, tears already running down her face

"I am so sorry Mother"

"Sorry? look what you have done to me! I should have just left you in pieces in your crib! that would have taught a lesson to that dumb ass of King Edmund! instead I punished myself by having you around!"

"Mother, I am so sorry, she had promised me to only pick a petal" Cassandra didn't know what else to do besides keep apologizing.

It was her fault if Mother was going to die.

"ah as if anyone would stop to just one with...power" a dry chuckle left her before Mother's eyes grew hard and unforgiving as a she realized she could still hurt Cassandra with words alone "you still think I am your Mother? as if any daughter of mine would back stab me like you did" she let out a cruel smirk, as her body started to resemble more an old corpse then anything alive. "you were never my daughter...only my personal slave...all I wanted of you was...to die as you served me...I always hated you"

Those were Mother's last words as her flesh went tight against her bones, her skin turning yellow, her hair had all fell out, her face stuck in an upsetting smirk stretched wide, her glossy eyes trained on Cassandra's in a silent accusation.

There never had been love in those eyes, only hate, but for someone who grew up mistaking that hate for love it was too hard to accept such thing.

"Mother? mom? answer me please" Cassandra lightly pushed the still warm corpse as if that would wake it up from the eternal sleep "I love you please come back, don't leave me"

An warm hand on her shoulder made her jump

"Stripes" it was Rapunzel

"What do you want? didn't you take enough?" Cassandra snapped at her

"What are you?" "Your mother had promised to take just a petal, not the whole thing! now look what have you done! you took my Mother from me aren't satisfied yet? what more do you want from me?" in her grief she was too upset to think straight, else she would have realized Rapunzel was the least person to blame.

"I don't want anything from you!" the Princess was quick to say looking on the edge of tears herself

"Then go back to your Mother and leave me with mine!" Cassandra wanted to be alone was that too much to ask?

"I can't do that!" apparently yes.

"Why not!?"

"YOU ARE BLEEDING AND HURTING!" Rapunzel yelled out, Cassandra then noticed her wounds had opened up and stained the floor red.

"I want to stay with Mother" she whispered as the blood loss made her vision hazy, she could faintly hear Rapunzel screaming as she let herself fall asleep.

In this moment she couldn't find a reason to fight anymore.

* * *

However a certain Princess had other in mind and Cassandra woke up again in a spacious house, laying on bed even comfier then the one before.

She would learn from a chatty woman dressed in yellow, that Rapunzel had sent Owl for help and kept her alive by sewing her wounds shut.

"You must be really grateful to your highness for saving your life" the chatty woman had said, Cassandra couldn’t' agree.

She wanted to stay with Mother.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cass simply loves Gothel too much even if Gothel clearly told her she hated her, Cass can't stop loving her.
> 
> It will take Cass a long time to heal.
> 
> Ps: Cass is actually in a room at the Castle, but she thinks it's an house cause the room is so big.


	7. Healing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hurray, I finished something that wasn't a one shot.
> 
> Enjoy the last chapter!

The monsters didn't disappear, however Cassandra had become known as the Moon's champion all over the Seven kingdoms.

She was basically a hero, because ever since she defeated Zhan Tiri, the monsters had stopped attacking everyone in sight and had taken to a much more manageable behaviour.

The Kingdoms could start healing and thrive again, but like our hero they needed more time.

* * *

Cassandra was curled in bed, giving her back to her unwanted guest, if she could get up and leave she would do so in an heart beat but as the one that called himself a healer told her she had worsened her wounds to the point it will take months for her to walk by herself.

Owl was still here to keep her company and she was glad of it, but he was also collaborating with those people to keep her in check and she didn't like it.

She doesn't trust this place.

The people in golden armor lived here as well, she had seen them pass by the door sometimes.

They had hunted her down once, it’s all their fault if she can't walk right now.

Arianna lived here, and was the Queen which from what Cassandra understood was the one the people in golden armor took orders from.

The one everyone in this place had to obey, which meant she can't trust anyone here, because the people in golden armor were ordered to hunt her down and Arianna was the one to betray her in the first place.

She wasn't going to trust any of them again, which is why she giving her back to Arianna right now and ignoring whatever she said.

"I am told you haven't been touching food, Cassandra you need to eat to heal" she didn't feel like eating, Owl even started to bring her dead mice which made the woman in yellow faint and yell.

It was a funny sight, but she can't bring herself to laugh.

"Rapunzel is worried about you" she had forgot about her, still she reached the conclusion that if the people took orders from Arianna then Rapunzel had no say in what happened either.

She was wrong in blaming her, Cassandra can't help but think she had antagonized her for good.

Arianna was just lying. Rapunzel must hate her.

"Liar"

"uh?" it was the first word she had said in while, no doubt Arianna was surprised

"Rapunzel hates me" she didn't feel like saying anything else so she just ignored whatever the Queen told her next.

She wouldn't believe a single word.

* * *

What she didn't expect was Rapunzel barrelling with the room, yes she figured out she was in some kind of bigger house.

"I don't hate you!" was the first thing Rapunzel said, or more like yelled out as if the mere notion was revolting to her.

Cassandra sat up, probably the most movement she did in days

"I blamed and yelled at you for no reason?" she didn't understand why the Princess wouldn't hate her at this point

"you were upset and hurt, even now you are still hurting" Rapunzel was crying at this point "I-I was so scared you were going to die" she rushed to give a bear hug to Cassandra, the princess might be small but her hugs are surprisingly tight, not in a bad way.

Cassandra was touched, she didn't think she would count so much to Rapunzel, in truth they barely even know each other.

The moment was cut short by a loud rumbling noise

"I...I am a bit hungry" Cassandra admitted in embarrassment.

* * *

Around a month later King Edmund arrived with his son Eugene Horace of the Dark Kingdom, Cassandra had been in the gardens with Rapunzel when the royal duo approached them.

The King only looked in her eyes once and it was enough for him to change from a stoic face to joyful expression.

Cassandra found herself swept in a big strong embrace

"MY DAUGHTER!" he yelled out in joy.

Later Cassandra would discover they hadn't told her anything just in case King Edmund wasn't her father as to not raise her hopes up.

Rapunzel had told her parents that Gothel had mentioned King Edmund and given her age, they had suspected she was in fact Edmund's lost daughter.

* * *

Cassandra was leave with King Edmund, but she was reluctant to be separated from Rapunzel even if she wanted to be far away from her Mother's murderers.

Rapunzel herself reassured her that she would visit her and pushed her to go with her father.

At first Cassandra thought Rapunzel wanted to get rid of her, but as time passed she realized it was for the best.

A new place was exactly what she needed to heal.

* * *

When Cassandra reached the Dark Kingdom she didn't expect to see a familiar face.

"Two face?"

"Stripes?"

* * *

Years passed, Cassandra did her best to recuperate on her education driven by an annoying remark that insufferable brother of hers had made.

"Ha as if you could ever reach up my level of perfection! you are practically an adult and can't even read, maybe father should just let you go back to the forest!"

and that's how Cassandra became better then dear Horace at any subject in the span of two years.

The Dark Kingdom siblings enjoyed upping the each other, but their fights weren't malicious.

They just liked to bicker, that's all.

Rapunzel visited from time to time, but Cassandra couldn't bring herself to set back foot in Corona.

* * *

Until it was time for Rapunzel and Eugene to marry as it was arranged years prior when Cassandra first meet Two face, Adira, if she hadn't seen firsthand how the two of them loved each other Cassandra would have fought tooth and nail to break such union.

After all it wasn't necessary anymore as the overwhelming tensions between Corona and the Dark Kingdom had been caused by Gothel kidnapping her.

The arranged marriage was a way to reconcile and start over, since both kingdoms had weakened considerably over their closed trades and needed to regain their strength before an outside force made them fall.

However with Cassandra being found and Corona being found completely innocent, the arranged marriage was just useless, but the documents were already signed and it would send an horrible message to break it off after.

Lucky Rapunzel and Eugene ended up loving each other, so their marriage would be anything but loveless and Cassandra didn't want to miss it.

She just didn't tell anyone she would be coming as well, except for Adira, who she needed as a guide, and Owl, who wouldn't ever dream of leaving behind.

She needed to do something first and in private, which Adira understood and set camp in a random spot of the forest.

They have arrived three days earlier then the Dark Kingdom official carriage, so that's how much Cassandra had to do what she needed to do.

* * *

In the end it only took a few hours.

Cassandra had go to her old home, took a single glance at where she used to sleep and reminisced about her days here, then she went to the tower where Gothel's corpse had been left to rot.

She dug a hole and made a grave for the one she had called Mother for so long, but she couldn't feel any love for that monster anymore.

"This is the last thing I will ever do for you" Cassandra didn't even say goodbye, she just left and felt nothing.

The mere notion she had ever felt love for Gothel was disgusting her.

Now that she was older and understood the gravity of what that old woman had done, it was simply impossible to love her.

Gothel had been nothing but cruel to her, a selfish woman ready to bring harm to anyone that crossed her with a smile on her face.

**A real monster**

"I thought you would be gone longer" Adira had commented upon seeing Cassandra come back so soon "is there something troubling you?"

"I still need to do something, but I have to go the Castle" they had planned unite with the Dark Kingdom's carriage as to not cause a big fuss, after all Edmund had got quite protective over Cassandra so her coming all the way here with just Adira as a guard and without telling anything it was graduated to give him a shock, which given his bad temper might embarrass him with the other nobles and representatives of the other Kingdoms.

"You went forward with your horse and arrived early, I will meet up with the carriage to inform the King so he won't be surprised to see you here" Adira was quick to come with a solution, this way Edmund would calm down before causing a scene

"Thank you"

* * *

Rapunzel had grown into a beautiful woman, still a bit shorter then Cassandra and retaining a bit of her puffy cheeks, she was mostly surprised to see her friend show up at their door claiming she had gone forward with her horse and arrived early.

She couldn't believe Cassandra was here, and she was even more surprised when Cassandra bowed low to her Mother and apologized.

Her Mother apologized back and they both hugged.

Rapunzel was happy she thought they would never reconcile and in a few days she would marry the love of her life.

She wouldn't call this an happy ending cause that sounded like she was going to suddenly die tomorrow, but it was surely an happy beginning.

Her family felt complete.

Now if only Cassandra had found someone to marry too, they could have double dates and their children could play together and it would be absolutely perfect.

However Cassandra just had to fall for a wanted woman that really hated Rapunzel...but that's another story.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact: the original ending had Cass staying all depressed in Gothel's cottage and snapping at everyone.  
> I am a bit sad she didn't get to tell off Nigel, but maybe I will find a way to put that somewhere else.
> 
> yes I just teased at Cass\Caine and didn't deliever :)

**Author's Note:**

> Owl is just trying to help, but Cass is too blinded to see Gothel as evil XD
> 
> Yes, that was Adira, she was visiting Corona, if it wasn't clear the Dark Kingdom never got the Moonstone, so it never fell.
> 
> Normal person logic *sees an armed feral looking young girl with their daughter*: STAY AWAY FROM MY DAUGHTER -attacks-
> 
> Arianna *sees an armed feral looking young girl with her daughter*: oh a negleted girl that's probably living alone in the woods, I better earn her trust and help her.
> 
> Next Chapter up tomorrow.  
> Yes you read that right.


End file.
